


My Little Sorceress

by twyly56



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: "I Must Protect This Big Precious Boy", Adorable Madzie, Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland Friendship, Alec Lightwood is good with kids, Background Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Bad Mean People are After Madzie!, Barista Jace Wayland, Board Games, Caring Alec Lightwood, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute Kids, Gills, High Warlock of Brooklyn Magnus Bane, Madzie Basically Takes One Look at Alec and Decides, Madzie Totally Kicks Ass, Mundane Alec Lightwood, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Painter Alec Lightwood, Parental Alec Lightwood, Protective Alec Lightwood, Protective Magnus Bane, Referenced Kidnapping, Sighted Alec Lightwood, Supportive Isabelle Lightwood, Sweet Alec Lightwood, Warlock Marks (Shadowhunter Chronicles), cute Madzie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-05 10:16:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17323112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twyly56/pseuds/twyly56
Summary: Alec meets a sweet little warlock girl when he goes with his best friend's girlfriend to get a spell to help her mother. She saves him from almost getting killed by her Nana, and he sees her again later in a park, running away from some people. Alec helps her get away.





	1. Chapter 1

He was pretty sure they were at the right place if the big sign above the door that said 'Iris Rouse' was any indication. There was a smaller sign by the door with the numbers 'one eight six'. Alec pressed his thumb to the button, and they heard a ring of the doorbell echo inside of the building. Not long afterwards, a woman dressed in a nurse uniform came and opened the door, peering out at them. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She looked pregnant to Alec, but he knew better than to ask if she was. It was none of his business whether or not she was. 

"Oh. Are you here to see Dr. Rouse?" the nurse asked. 

"Um, yes. My name is Clary. I think Dr. Rouse is expecting me?" Clary said. A woman with auburn hair walked up behind the nurse lady. 

"I was indeed expecting you. I only wondered when," the woman told them. She walked forward to the doorway, and the pregnant nurse stepped to the side to let her pass. Her dark eyes were scrutinizing and just so slightly warm as they flicked over the pair of them. "And I see you brought a guest. Your boyfriend?" 

Alec scrunched up his face at the thought and glanced at Clary. She looked just as displeased. 

"Uh-" Clary sputtered. 

"No," Alec finished for her. She nodded. 

"Hmm. Well, whatever you are, leave your weapon outside," the woman said. Alec raised an eyebrow at her. "Any warlock worth a damn can tell when someone's packing, kid. Don't worry." Her smile was sharp, her gaze cool. Alec glanced at Clary, and she nodded. Okay, then. "It will be safe in the alcove." 

The woman stepped back and gestured for Clary and him to come inside. Alec followed behind his best friend's girlfriend as she walked over the threshold, lifting up his jacket and removing the pistol from his waistband. He set it in the little area that the woman indicated. Clary was walking next to the warlock woman now, nearing the living room. Alec caught up to them. 

"Did you bring your mother's-" Dr. Rouse began to ask. 

"Uh, her hair, yes," Clary said. She bobbed her head. 

"Perfect," Dr. Rouse murmured. Her heeled boots clacked on the hardwood surface of the house. "Nurse Lee will help you with the paperwork." 

Alec stopped abruptly and looked at the warlock woman. 

"Uh, paperwork?" he asked. The woman stopped along with Clary, and they turned to look at him. 

"Yeah. Just a simple pinprick to draw blood for the oath. For the favor we talked about," Dr. Rouse told him. She glanced at his redheaded companion. 

"I - I don't know about any favors," Alec said. Jace would be _pissed_ if his girlfriend got sucked into some weird blood magic thing with a warlock. 

"Oh, that was the deal we made," Dr. Rouse murmured. 

"It's fine, Alec," Clary assured him. Her green eyes were pleading for him to just drop it. He narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion. 

"Wonderful," Dr. Rouse chirped. "Follow me." The woman looked at him. "Your friend can wait here for you in the waiting room." 

"No," Alec said instantly. "I'm not leaving her side." 

"Oh, then I'm afraid I can't do this," Dr. Rouse told them. She turned her attention to Clary. "His energy is too turbulent. I need calm and..." She made a face. "He is not calm." 

"Okay. I'm going to need to see some credentials," Alec said.

He wasn't just going to leave Clary alone with some random warlock. Ugh. Why had he agreed to this again? Fucking Jace and his job with its weird hours. Clary grabbed his arm, and he stiffened. He looked down at her when she tugged at his sleeve. 

"Hey. Alec. It's okay. I'll be fine, really," Clary said. 

The woman warlock nodded to Clary, and the women walked up the stairs to the second floor. Alec waited until Clary's bright orange hair was out of sight before he moved over to the wooden bench by the piano near the doorway. He sat down on it. A soft noise caught his attention, and he turned his head. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a little girl. She had a purple dress, white stockings, and black ballet flats on. A purple and blue patterned scarf was knotted around her neck. Her skin was darker than his, and she had shoulder length brown hair. Her dark chocolate colored eyes were curious, blinking at him. Her small hands were fidgeting in front of her as she stared at him. Alec found himself smiling at her. 

"Hello," he said. 

The little girl stared at him for a few moment longer before she walked slowly towards him. Alec glanced back at her, and she stopped in the middle of the waiting room. He got up from the wooden bench and crouched beside her. She looked at him with her big brown eyes, still seeming curious. 

"Where do you keep your toys at?" Alec asked her. 

The girl lifted her hand up and pointed at the ceiling. Her neck scarf lifted when she put her hand up, and he saw the curved, slitted skin on her throat. It moved as she breathed in and out. Alec smiled at her. 

"Cool gills," he said. 

The little girl put her hand down. Her lips tilted up in shy smile. Alec's smile grew wider. She was just so cute. She blinked when he shifted to sitting back on his calves. 

"I'm Alec. What's your name?" Alec asked. 

"Madzie," the girl said. Her voice was really soft, but he still caught what she had said. 

"Madzie. Wow. That's a pretty name," Alec told her. She smiled again. "So what do you like to do around here for fun? Do you like to color?" 

The little girl nodded. He grinned. 

"Hey, me too. I love coloring," Alec said. He pulled out a sketchpad from his jacket and a pack of Crayola markers. He held out the box to her. "Do you want to color with me?" 

Madzie nodded her head again, and he set the sketchpad down on the ground between them. The little girl sat down in front of him, crossing her legs, and she picked up a red marker. Alec picked up a blue one. 

"What do you want to draw, Madzie?" he asked her. 

"A boat," Madzie told him. 

"A boat? A boat it is," Alec said. "I think I will do the waves, then. Okay?" He made sure she had enough room to draw before he started on his corner of the paper. He set his marker to the page and started to draw. 


	2. Chapter 2

Alec set down his blue marker, the last part of the water colored in. Madzie held her own marker in her hand, clicking the cap back in place. Madzie's boat had green sails and red siding with little purple sailors dotting the deck. The sun had a smiley face, and Alec had drawn some clouds and the choppy water part. He carefully tore the paper along the dotted line at the top and handed it to the little girl. She smiled and held it in her lap. Alec glanced at the watch on his wrist, and he realized it had been nearly an hour since Clary had left to go upstairs with Dr. Rouse. He looked at Madzie. 

"Hey, sweetheart. I have to go see how my friend's doing. But I'll be right back, and then we can color some more. Okay?" Alec said. 

"Okay," Madzie replied with a little nod. He smiled and handed her the box of markers. 

"Will you hold onto this for me?" Alec asked. She nodded, clutching the box in her small hands. "Thank you." 

Alec pushed himself to his feet, and he walked to the stairs. He glanced back to see the little girl pick up his sketchpad and move it to the wooden bench. He smiled to himself, and he walked up the steps to the second floor of the building. Alec looked around the hallway. His ears pricked as he heard a low voice coming a room a few doors down. Alec pushed the door open, and he stepped inside. The warlock woman was speaking, her eyes closed, but Clary was nowhere in sight. She shut the door behind her and locked it. Alec stepped closer to her, and she stopped muttering under her breath. He cleared his throat, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Where is Clary?" Alec asked. 

"Your friend is just fulfilling her end of the bargain," Dr. Rouse replied smoothly. She smiled benignly at him. As if that would be reassuring. "Do not be so worried. No harm will come to her. At least nothing permanent." 

Alec took a step toward her, narrowing his eyes. 

"Just what exactly did this  _favor_  entail?" he demanded. 

"She consented beforehand," Dr. Rouse answered, waving her hand in a vague gesture, avoiding his question. He got a nasty feeling in his stomach. 

"Where the hell is Clary?!" Alec repeated forcefully. He grabbed her by her shoulders, and he shoved her against the wall by the locked door. Her dark eyes sparked with anger. 

"I suggest you take your hands off of me, young man," Dr. Rouse said. The air seemed to grow heavier with the conclusion of her words. 

"Where is she?!" Alec demanded. 

The warlock woman lifted up her hand from her side, and her palm glowed with a golden light. Alec gasped as he was flung backwards and up into the ceiling. The air rushed out of his lungs at the abrupt impact, so hard that it bruised muscle and crumbled plaster, and he was let go just as quickly. He smacked onto the hardwood floor, cracking his head on the flat surface. Pieces of the ceiling fell with him, landing on his back and scattering on the floor around him.

"You've got to do better than that, you pathetic mundane," Dr. Rouse's voice hissed from above his head. 

His vision went dark and fuzzy, golden light humming around him, pressing him down, rendering him incapable of moving a single inch even if he wasn't half conscious. His head swam nauseatingly. A door opened from somewhere behind them. There was a little pitter patter of tiny feet, and he vaguely registered a pair of small ballet flats and white stockings stepping in front of him. 

"Nana! Nana, _no,_ " he heard Madzie say very sternly. 

"Oh, hi, honey bun. Why don't you go back inside?" Dr. Rouse suggested. She knelt beside the little girl. "Don't worry. I was just playing with the man." 

Madzie shook her head and tugged at her Nana's sleeve. Alec couldn't see it from where he was, but there was a blue marker clutched in her small hand. 

"Nana, no," Madzie insisted. She shook her head, brown hair bouncing with the movement. 

He heard the warlock woman let out a sigh, and the golden light vanished from around him. Dr. Rouse scooped the little girl into her arms, waving her hand to open up a portal.

"Put her down," Alec rasped. He coughed and pushed himself up onto his elbows. The warlock woman glared at him. 

"Her name is _Madzie._ And she's better off with me than left to fend for herself out in this cruel world," Dr. Rouse said. The little girl looked past her at him, blinking. She waved goodbye. If he hadn't felt like he was going to throw up everything in his stomach, he would have done the same. "You can save the redhead, but she still owes me the favor." 

It whirred for a moment, and she stepped through with Madzie. The portal disappeared the same instant all of her was inside, the multicolored light vanishing. Alec coughed again, and he blinked hard to clear the spots in his vision. He pushed himself to his feet and stumbled toward the locked door. He grabbed the little lock and turned it the other way to unlock the door. Alec yanked the door open just in time for Clary to come running out and all but knock him over. He barely managed to pull the door shut before they both tumbled to the floor.

There was an unearthly growl on the other side of the door that sent chills down his spine. His head smacked against the floor again, and that sure as hell did not help his burgeoning migraine. Neither did the body that was laying on top of him. She wasn't that heavy, but he had just been thrown into the ceiling. Clary buried her head in his chest and clutched at his jacket, shaking and letting out tiny scared gasps. He lifted his head up and glanced at the top of her carrot orange hair. He awkwardly patted her on the back. 

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Alec said. 

"No, no, no. Oh my God! Thank you," Clary breathed. "If you hadn't opened the door right then-" 

"Whatever it is, you can tell me in the car. We should probably go before that thing decides it wants to break down the door," Alec suggested. 

"Ye-yeah. Let's go," Clary agreed. 

"Now get off of me," Alec groaned. 

"Right, sorry," Clary said. She scrambled off of him, and he let her help him to his feet again. He had to lean on her, so they could move toward the stairs. Her green eyes filled with concern. "What the hell happened to you?" 

"You really don't want to know," Alec muttered. He turned his head to the side and coughed. 


	3. Chapter 3

Alec looked over the line of paint tubes sitting on the bench next to him. There was nearly every color of the rainbow, and anything he can't find there could be easily mixed into something new, given a push toward change, to something unique. His sun tanned fingers ran over the paint tubes, feeling the metal texture of the tubes that had gone cool, almost cold, with the rest of the autumnal air. The air surrounding him could use some warmth, and he contemplated to himself whether or not he should have brought a thicker jacket. Oh well. It was too late to worry about that now. He had a painting that he needed to start on. 

He had always has loved art. From the moment little Alec Lightwood had been able to pick up a crayon and put it to paper, he knew that was where his heart belonged. He had been drawing before he even consciously knew what drawing was. All Alec had ever wanted to do was to paint. He loved the idea of moving the brush to fill something with color and various shapes. To build masterpieces out of blank white sheets and drown in color. He stared ahead at the white space before him. Alec picked up the wooden handle of the brush, and he dipped it into the small amounts of paint he had squeezed onto his palette. 

His strokes began on the empty canvas, slow and methodical, sure and steady. The painting came to life with vibrant hues of orange and red and yellow, echoing the multicolored leaves scattered across the dried grass of the park. The tip of his tongue was caught between his teeth as he concentrated. He let himself get lost in the colors and background noises of the park around him. His breathing echoed in his ears, and he blinked suddenly as the brush slipped from his fingers. Paint splattered against the front of his apron, and the brush clattered to the leaf covered dirt below. The brush quickly became forgotten as Alec looked up, feeling almost possessed, and a tiny figure ran toward him. 

Alec gasped slightly as the little girl flung her arms around his legs and clung to him tightly. He looked down at her and wiped off his paint spattered hand on his apron before he patted her head. Her brown hair was soft and a bit fuzzy even braided back in two cute little braids. There were small white bows clipped into her hair above each braid. Madzie looked up at him with her big brown eyes. She wasn't looking happy or shy today, so Alec was immediately concerned. Her scarf was nowhere to be seen, but her jacket collar was flipped up. 

"What happened, Madzie? What's wrong?" Alec asked her. 

"He took Nana. He took Nana, Alec," the little girl said. 

"Who did?" Alec asked. 

" _He_ did. The mean man," Madzie said. "Dot said to go. I did. I did it." 

"Who's Dot?" Alec asked her. 

"The pretty lady. She's nice," the little girl told him. 

"Okay. Okay," Alec said. He nodded to himself. He pursed his lips. Alec reached down and put his hands under her armpits, lifting her up into his arms. Madzie wrapped her arms around his neck. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Hold on, sweetheart." 

His canvas and art supplies remained forgotten as he started to walk as quickly as he could with her in his arms towards the coffee shop where Jace worked. It was a public place, and whoever had kidnapped Madzie's Nana would be less likely to come after Madzie in a place with that many people. He would have called the police, but Dr. Rouse was a warlock. If someone had actually kidnapped her and Madzie, then he bet that they were pretty powerful themselves. And he knew that he was definitely no match for something like that. 

Alec's arms were sore by the time he reached the coffee shop. He gently set Madzie down on the ground, and she grabbed onto his hand. Alec pushed open the door to the coffee shop. The bell above the doorway tinkled as they walked inside. Alec walked Madzie over to a booth away from the windows, and he got her situated on the seat. He sat next to her.

"Do you like blueberry muffins, Madzie?" Alec asked her. The little girl nodded. 

Jace came over not long after, pen tucked behind his ear. 

"Hey, buddy. What can I get you?" his friend asked. His mismatched eyes slid past him to the little girl sitting next to him. "Who's your friend?" 

"Can I have a blueberry muffin and a medium sized hot chocolate for her?" Alec asked. "I'll tell you later." 

"Um, sure. Yeah, coming right up. Nothing for you, then?" Jace said. 

"Not right now," Alec responded. 

"Okay. One medium hot chocolate it is," Jace said. His friend walked off to go behind the counter. 

A few minutes later, Jace came back with a blueberry muffin and a large mug of hot chocolate. It had marshmallows swimming in the top. He set them in front of the little girl. Madzie unwrapped the muffin and dug into it with a spoon. Alec smiled at her. 

"So... is this the part where you tell me you had an illegitimate child?" Jace asked. 

"What?" Alec said. He frowned at his friend. "No." 

"I don't know, man. She kind of looks like you," Jace teased. 

"I'm not sure what part of 'I'm gay' is so hard for you to comprehend. Dudes can't get other dudes pregnant. How on Earth could I have a kid?" Alec asked. Jace snickered. 

"No, but seriously. What's the story?" his friend asked him. He leaned against the side of the booth. 

"I met Madzie a few weeks ago when I went with Clary to that warlock," Alec said. Jace nodded. "She just came up to me in the park today when I was painting, and she said someone took her Nana. It seems like she was kidnapped or something, and Madzie got away." 

"Wow. Do you need me to call the police?" Jace asked. 

"No. We'll be fine. I just wanted to come here because it seemed safer," Alec said.

"If you want to, you can bring Madzie and stay with us at Clary's dad's house," Jace offered. 

"Thanks. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Alec said. 

He turned his head and saw Madzie had stuck her spoon in her hot chocolate. He watched as she waved her hands by the mug, and the hot chocolate froze. The little girl lifted it out of the mug by the handle of the spoon with an adorable little smile. She licked the frozen hot chocolate happily. 

"What are you doing, sweetheart?" Alec asked her. 

"I made a popsicle," Madzie responded softly. 

"Yeah. That's pretty cool," Alec told her. The little girl smiled and went back to licking her frozen hot chocolate. The look on Jace's face at what she had just done was priceless. 


	4. Chapter 4

Luke opened the door to his apartment on the third rap of Alec's knuckles against the wooden door. He was all dressed in his police uniform, badge, gun, radio, and all. He grinned when he saw Alec. He took in Alec's paint splattered appearance with a raised eyebrow. 

"When I last saw you, you were this small," Luke said, holding out his hands about a fourth of the height Alec really was. "Rocked you until you fell asleep, or so I thought. Turns out you were just pretending, so you could make the freakiest noise and spit up on me. Then you looked at me all smug, like you planned on giving your uncle a heart attack. Knew instantly you were gonna be my favorite nephew."

Alec scowled at him when Luke grinned. 

"I visited you last month for family dinner. It hasn't been that long," he responded. 

"You never write, you never call," Luke continued dramatically. 

"Oh my _God,_ " Alec sighed. He shifted his grip on Madzie's hand, and Luke smiled down at her. 

"Who's this little princess?" Luke asked. 

"Her name is Madzie," Alec told him. "She's my friend. Isn't that right, sweetheart?" Madzie nodded, peeking out from behind Alec's legs at the policeman. He pointed at Luke. "This is Uncle Luke. He's Clary's dad. Remember the girl with red hair from your Nana's house?" Madzie nodded again. 

"Well, hello. Nice to meet you, Madzie," Luke said. He held out his hand to Madzie for her to shake it, but she just hid her face in the back of Alec's jacket. 

"She's kind of shy," Alec explained. He smoothed down the hair on the back of her head. 

"That's alright," Luke said. "Come on in." 

"Come on, Madzie," Alec murmured. He tugged lightly on her hand, and she followed him inside the apartment. She stuck close to his side, refusing to let go of his hand. Alec turned to Luke. "Does Jocelyn have any of those thin scarves lying around? The decorative ones?" 

"Um, I think so. Why do you ask?" Luke asked. 

"Madzie lost hers, and I don't think now is a good time to take her shopping," Alec explained. 

"Yeah. Alright. Just a moment, and I'll get you one. I'm sure she won't mind as long as you return it eventually," Luke said. 

The policeman went into a bedroom down the hall and returned a few moments later with a green and blue satin scarf with swirly patterns all along it. He handed it to Alec, and Alec thanked him. He moved into a crouch, and he carefully tied it over Madzie's neck, adjusting it to cover her fluttering gills. Alec flipped the collar of her jacket down. The little girl blinked at him. 

"I have to get to work. I have the night shift today. If you kids need anything, just give me a call, okay?" Luke said. 

"Will do. Thanks," Alec replied. 

The door shut as the policeman left the apartment. Jace and Clary were out at the market, so it was just him and Madzie for right now. He tweaked the edge of the knot on her scarf and smiled. 

"There you go, sweetheart. What do you want to do now?" Alec asked her. 

Madzie gave him no reply, only a small smile. She bounced over and dropped a small pink crayon in front of him. He wasn't even sure where she had gotten it from. Okay, so this was how it was going to be. Alec felt himself smile again. Wow, he could hardly remember using his facial muscles so often. This kid really was something else. 

"You want me to draw something? Not to brag, but I did some of my best work with crayons back in the day," Alec said.

He took a piece of blank paper from the huge pile on the table - he guessed it was good thing that Clary was a very avid sketch artist - and started to draw. The little girl grabbed a yellow crayon and followed his lead. They both were silent for a while, and Alec had to appreciate that the girl wasn't making any sort of fuss that kids were known for. Madzie was a very quiet kid, that was for sure, but some four year olds were just shy. Max hadn't been, but then, he was Alec's brother. What did he expect? Considering what had happened to this little girl, he was surprised she was so close to him already. He couldn't fault her for not talking really. 

Speaking of Madzie, she seemed to be finished her piece. Alec was impressed. 

"Whoa, sweetheart! You've got some serious talent. Never seen a better... uh... that's a flower, right?" Alec said. The little girl nodded, her brown braids bouncing with the movement. 

"I made a sunflower," Madzie told him with the cutest little smile. His heart just melted. Alec looked back at Madzie's proud face and couldn't help but give her a smile of his own.

"Nice! You should sign it. All the best artists do," Alec said. 

Madzie scribbled on the top of the page something almost completely illegible, but four year olds probably couldn't write yet anyway, so what did Alec expect, really? It was perfect. Madzie was perfect. Man, he adored this little girl. Right now, looking after the kid, the fact hit him again like a truck. Just an hour ago he was worried that he'd be a bad guardian, or that the kid wouldn't like him once they actually spent more time together. But everything was going pretty smoothly. Madzie was shy at first, but now she was coloring a sloppy rainbow next to him. Funny how things turned out.

There was no doubt in Alec's mind - he wanted to be a part of this girl's life. Alec knew Madzie already had had something to eat, but he asked if she wanted anything to eat anyway. Madzie spoke again, so quiet that Alec practically had to guess what he said. She smiled shyly up at him, crayon drawing clasped firmly in her small hand. Alec nodded and went to the kitchen, filching a set of Jace's yogurt cups and a pair of spoons. He pulled off the tops and handed the little girl her yogurt cup. Madzie grinned at him, sticking her spoon enthusiastically into the yogurt. Alec held up his yogurt cup and tapped it against Madzie's.

"Cheers," he said. Madzie giggled. 

"You're silly, Alec," the little girl told him, her voice soft. 

"I'm silly?" Alec gasped. He placed his hand on his chest, acting scandalized. "Me?" She giggled again. 

"Yup!" Madzie said. 


	5. Chapter 5

The room was dark, the curtains pulled shut, and Alec had his head buried in his pillow as he drifted into a hazy sleep. His eyes snapped open again when he heard a noise from across the room. There was a whining creak as the door to Alec's bedroom opened slowly. He groaned, not happy with whoever was intruding on was valued sleeping time. People waking him up in the middle of the night was not cool. If it was Jace, he was going to throw his pillow at him. 

"Alec?" the soft little voice drifted over to his ears. 

With a quick twist of his head, he saw the little girl, wearing one of Clary's smaller blue T shirts, standing in the doorway and peeking around the corner of the frame and watching him. Any and all negative feelings drained from him as soon as he saw her looking so vulnerable. Her brown eyes were wide, and little wisps of her curly hair were springing free from the confines of her braids, curling around the side of her face. 

"Oh, hi, Madzie. What's wrong?" he tried to make his voice sound kind to reassure her. Her voice was so quiet he could barely hear her, but he thought that he understood what she was trying to get at. "Did you have a nightmare?"

She nodded. The little girl's lip wobbled. Alec quickly pushed back the covers and rushed over to her as tears began to appear on her cheeks. When he wrapped his arms gently around Madzie, she leaned her head into his chest, grabbing his tank top with her tiny hands.

"Hey, don't worry. It was just a dream. I'm here, it's okay," he said soothingly, feeling a few tears soak through his shirt. 

"He - he's a mean man," Madzie stuttered, having a hard time speaking through the little hiccuping sobs. There was no way Alec was letting her out of his sight when she was like this. "Mean." 

"Do you want to sleep in my room tonight?" he asked, and he felt her nod against him in response.

Alec helped her over to his bed, navigating through the dark room while holding her hand, and then he helped her up onto his bed. She laid down over the dip in the mattress from where Alec had been sleeping, and he tucked the soft blanket up around her chin. Madzie snuggled into it, gripping it tightly with her small hands. He was about to back away when her hand shot out or the blanket and grabbed his arm. Her eyes stared straight up at him. 

"What's wrong?" Alec asked, frowning slightly in confusion. 

"Don't leave, Alec," the little girl said. He smiled gently. 

"I'm not going anywhere. Just to the other side of the room," Alec told her, pointing to the couch near the door. 

"Stay," Madzie said. He blinked. " _Please?_ " 

Well, there was no way he could say no to that face. 

"Okay, sure," he agreed.

It was a lot better then sleeping on the couch anyway. Alec climbed in next to her, peeling the blanket back a bit and settling down next to her. Madzie turned and pressed herself against him, surprising him with her clinginess. Though, he was more surprised by how much he enjoyed it. He adjusted around her form, letting his arms go around her loosely, adjusting the blanket to let it fall over both of them. She was just so _tiny_ next to him. He was kind of scared to move too much. She might get squished or something. 

He shifted his head on the pillow and ran a hand over her messy brown hair, smoothing it down absently, so tired he barely noticed what he was doing so beyond thinking of how nice it felt. Just knowing she was still able to laugh was enough to put him at ease and made him more comfortable with the whole situation. They stayed like that for a long time, Madzie leaning against him and him curled around her, silent except for their steady breathing and the occasional noises drifting from outside on the street. Alec smiled one last time before falling asleep himself with the little girl in his arms.

 

When the little girl slipped into the bathroom through the still open door and sat down on the lid of the toilet, watching Alec brush his teeth with a fascination unique to four year olds, he paused. He glanced Madzie in the mirror for a few seconds before frowning. He spit, rinsed with one of the two glass cups provided on the bathroom counter and turned, drying his mouth on his sleeve. He smiled at her. 

"Do you want to learn how to brush your teeth by yourself, Madzie?" Alec asked.

Madzie tilted her head, like she was thinking about it, before she grinned, her perfect, tiny white teeth showing. She bobbed her head. Alec smiled and grabbed the trashcan next to the toilet. It was empty, and he turned it upside down so the little girl could climb up on it and see herself in the mirror. Madzie, for her part, looked far more excited than anyone should be at the prospect of brushing their own teeth. It was adorable. 

"Alright, so I'm still going to have to brush your teeth, too, just to make sure we get it right, but you can start. Here." Alec grabbed the toothbrush they had gotten out for her, and the Colgate toothpaste, squeezing a tiny pea sized bit onto the bristles. Madzie took it from him and stuck it in her mouth, frowning as she tried to maneuver it correctly with her little hand. 

"Here, let me help," Alec said, reaching for the end of the brush. Madzie looked up at him. Alec reached down to her, taking his right hand and uncurling the grip she had on the brush. He readjusted it, and he closed his fingers over the end again, holding Madzie's little fist in his hand as he raised it to the little girl's mouth.

"Okay, open up," Alec said. Madzie opened her mouth, and he helped her start to brush along the bottom of her teeth in the back. He let go after a second. "Like that, okay? Make sure you keep the brush part on your teeth, and just keep moving around. Each new spot you start brushing, count to twenty. You can do that, right?"

Madzie nodded, mouth hanging open and a look of intense concentration on her face. The little girl followed his directions, working her way across the bottom row of her teeth and then to the top. Alec had to help him fix her grip a couple more times, but she let him, seeming to catch on to it pretty quickly. After Madzie was finished, she let Alec brush her teeth a second time, and then he helped her rinse and spit. 

"Alright. High five," Alec said. He held up his hand, and Madzie tapped her hand against his. She giggled. Alec smiled. 


End file.
